décor

Zahirah Marty, a Durbanite who now lives in Dubai, knows a great deal about

the world of public relations and blogs – so much so that shortly after she became pregnant, she

On safari

started a motherhood-and-lifestyle blog called Meet Mrs Marty. For little Noah’s room, however, she decided to call in an expert to help.

Designer and blogger Kathryn Hawkes is also from Durban, which

made it easier for the two of them to tackle the project together. They wanted to support businesses and brands from South Africa, as far as possible, but because Zahirah’s husband Andrew is Australian,

When two South Africans met in Dubai, one a pregnant media

maven and blogger and the other an interior designer, it resulted in

this adorable baby’s room.

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they had to ensure that there was a bit of Oz in there too. The safari-circus theme was perfect!

Using a basic palette of grey, black and mint, they started with the walls and selected a wallpaper for the feature wall that would pull everything together beautifully. The triangle design is from French children’s décor brand Lilipinso. The rest of the walls were painted

in a very light mint green.Zahirah already had the cot and

changing table, so they looked for a mat that would go with them. Kathryn had fallen in love with the pictures of the animals wearing hats, which she came across on Etsy, and they decided to introduce this quirky element elsewhere in the room as well. The result is the bowler-hat light that

Kathryn made herself. For extra lighting, they opted for a string of lights rather than one central light.

Zahirah wanted a freestanding wardrobe so they went on the search for one with a vintage feel – something that was not quite perfect. After a few small changes and a coat of paint, the wardrobe proved to be ideal for all Noah’s little outfits.

décor

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décor

For the mobile above his cot, Kathryn had Australian animals specially made to celebrate that part of his heritage. They also used a few fabric animal trophies from designer Fiona Walker (find similar online at ollypolly.co.za or kidsliving.co.za). The large stuffed cactus and aloe are also Fiona’s work.

See more of interior designer and blogger Kathryn Hawkes’s work on her website www.houseofhawkes.com or at @houseofhawkes on Instagram.

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